


Fantastic Families and How to Build Them

by crumbsofhumblepiety



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 1920s, AU, Alternate Universe, Autistic Newt Scamander, Canon Autistic Character, Canon Jewish Character, Credence Barebone Gets a Hug, Credence Barebone Heals, Family Feels, Fix-It, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Gen, Good Original Percival Graves, Jewish Tina Goldstein, Mary Lou Barebone is Her Own Warning, Multi, One Big Happy Family, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Post-Movie 1: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Pre-Movie 2: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, i don't know how to tag things, jewish queenie goldstein, past trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29686326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crumbsofhumblepiety/pseuds/crumbsofhumblepiety
Summary: In the aftermath of witchhunters and dark wizards, a family was the last thing any of them expected to find.(Sorry if you came here through the tag of a character I've not yet introduced, but I promise I have big plans for everyone to be here!)
Relationships: Queenie Goldstein & Tina Goldstein, Queenie Goldstein & Tina Goldstein & Jacob Kowalski & Newt Scamander, Queenie Goldstein/Jacob Kowalski, Tina Goldstein/Newt Scamander
Kudos: 6





	Fantastic Families and How to Build Them

It was a rainy morning in New York City, thanks to Frank the Thunderbird, and most people were clueless to the disasters that had taken place mere hours ago. The no-majes hurried to work, to school, to the coffee shops for their morning cup of Joe, without the slightest memory that the same streets they walked, even the very buildings they sat in, had just been rubble and shattered glass.  
From 99 storeys above, Tina Goldstein watched. It wasn’t as though there was any other way to pass the time - she was exhausted, but taking a nap in the Presidential reception room was out of the question. Any moment now, Madame Picquery would be walking through those doors, and the anxiety that came with awaiting that moment had an effect like caffeine. Sure, Tina had met the President before, worked with her and drank coffee with her even… but that was different, Picquery liked to keep up with the aurors and practical work rather than be merely a politician. And that was when Tina was still an auror. This was political, this was The President. She, Queenie, and Newt had invoked the wrath of the most powerful woman in the world. Tina couldn’t help wondering if Grindelwald was feeling this same fear, down underground in the cells. At least they wouldn’t be in half as much trouble as him.

Behind her, she could hear Newt fidgeting and shuffling as he had been for all of the time they’d waited. Mercy Lewis, couldn’t he keep still for five minutes? He must’ve checked his pocket watch a dozen times since sitting down. Perhaps it was breakfast time for his creatures, they had been waiting here a while. Or, perhaps he was trying to resist sleep too. They’d all been awake over 24 hours, running around the city tracking beasts and obscurials and dark wizards, going everywhere from speakeasies to no-maj department stores. How Tina longed for normality, to go home, put on her pyjamas, drink cocoa with Queenie… Could things ever be normal again, after this? For one thing, they were both going to have to find new jobs. Mercy Lewis, they were so fired, for real this time. As though it wasn’t hard enough to find a job these days, let alone something in wizarding New York that wasn’t MACUSA, the feeling that Tina had screwed everything up weighed over her.

“We’ll find somethin’ else,” Queenie whispered from behind, squeezing Tina’s hand. She’d hardly let go of it since they said goodbye to Jacob, and tears still streaked her cheeks. “We’ve been through worse, right?”

“Don’t read my mind,” Tina murmured back, though she smiled slightly. It was easy for Queenie to talk about finding something else, for her the wand permit office had just been something to pay the bills and pass the time. But for Tina… Well, she’d been an auror not so long ago. Trained under Seraphina Picquery and Percival Graves themselves. It had been everything she’d worked for and planned towards since Ilvermorny, the job that got her and Queenie out of the orphanage as teenagers. It was everything. Now, it was gone.

Graves. That was something she barely had the guts to consider yet. How long had the Director of Magical Security been gone, replaced by a lunatic criminal? It sure explained why he’d changed his tune on the Second Salemers, going from acknowledging the threat and even offering help to demoting her, knowing those kids were being hurt, allowing it to happen… Because he knew an obscurial was amongst them.  
Her poor Credence. That gentle, frightened boy, Tina had failed him. She hadn’t suspected for a moment that he wasn’t a no-maj; she hadn’t been able to prevent him from dying in the same terror and pain he’d known all his life. The mere thought of Credence was like a stab wound to the chest, the thought of his death was like the blade being twisted. She wanted to scream and break down, but she didn’t. Queenie needed her to keep it together, like always. That’s the job of a big sister, to be the protector. Aurors too. Except she wasn’t exactly successful with either, was she? How strange it was to think that 48 hours ago, none of these problems existed, and now the world was crumbling.  
Normal. A few moments ago, she’d been foolish enough to distract herself from her grief and wondered when things would go back to normal. They would never, would they?

She might’ve entered a tailspin of despair, had she not been pulled from her thoughts by the black double doors opening at last, splitting the golden pentagram emblazoned upon them in two. Achilles Tolliver, a handsome auror about Tina’s age but much higher ranking than she’d ever been, led in first - behind him Madame President, who looked exhausted too but still regal as ever, flanked by two aurors. Queenie gripped Tina’s hand again, and she did not let go.

The doors slammed shut behind the President and her entourage. For a moment, there was silence. And then Madame Picquery spoke.

“I apologise for keeping you waiting - a great deal of matters have needed my attention following these events. I appreciate your patience.” She gestured towards a set up of seats around a coffee table. Tina, Queenie and Newt all hurried to sit opposite her, somehow ending up all three sat squashed on a single loveseat. If they looked as absurd as Tina felt, Picquery did not appear to notice.

“For all our sakes, I’ll try to make this as quick as possible. Firstly - Scamander, I take it you’ve retrieved all of your escaped creatures?”

Newt nodded quickly, forcing his gaze away from the suitcase upon his lap. “Yes, they’re all back home and safe.”

“Good. As I said to you earlier, I want that case out of New York and out of the United States as soon as possible.”

“Hmm- I actually do have a little further business to attend-”

“The next thing I was going to say,” President Picquery interrupted almost forcefully, “Is that as a gesture of gratitude for helping us apprehend Gellert Grindelwald, the three of you are being pardoned for all crimes and misdemeanours committed during this incident. However, I want to make very clear that this is not a free pass to continue engaging in any sort of illegal behaviour. I would hate to change my mind on this gesture because tomorrow you let a dragon loose to terrorise no-majes.”

“I don’t have a dragon.” Newt pointed out. This was ignored. Tina could not blame her. But she was rather startled to have the President’s attention now solely on her.

“Finally, Porpentina Goldstein. I owe you an apology.”

Tina stared for a moment, stunned. She wasn’t getting fired? Or executed? The president was apologising to her… This was surreal. “Me?”

“You,” The president confirmed with a nod. “It was a grave oversight to dismiss the threat the Second Salemers posed. You’ve gone above and beyond to protect not just our community, but the no-maj community as well. That’s what being an auror is about; not just upholding the law and keeping the peace. Which is why I’m inviting you to rejoin the force.”

“Oh, Teenie!” Queenie gasped, delighted. Even Newt was smiling.

“Oh - Thank you, Madame President, I would love to!” Tina exclaimed. She could have laughed with sheer joy, if not cried - a few minutes ago she felt like her life was finished, and now? She was going to be an auror again. And her sister, who’s heart had just been broken, was smiling.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Madame President said, and Tina noticed that even she was smiling ever so slightly. “In that case, I’ll see you in the Major Investigation Department department on Monday morning. Your badge will be returned to you by owl. Now, is there anything else you feel ought to be discussed?”

Tina glanced at both Queenie and Newt; strangely, it seemed like both had wanted to say something but thought better of it. That was probably for the best. Debating Rappaport’s law with the President was not something they could win. So Tina shook her head. “I think that’s all, ma’am.”

As the three hurried out of the Presidential rooms, Tina had quite a skip in her step.

*

Once the three returned to the apartment, Tina kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the couch. She had never been so glad to just sit down. Mercy Lewis, what a weekend it had been. She watched Newt practically take a running jump back into his suitcase - she supposed there were hungry baby occamies down there waiting impatiently for Mummy - and Queenie head back into the bedroom. The apartment was warm, and the couch was soft… It was pointless to fight closing her eyes.

“Which one was his?”

Tina was pulled out of her sleep after mere seconds by Queenie’s voice. She turned round to stare vaguely at her sister. “Wuh?”

Queenie did not answer. It took a moment for Tina to realise what she was talking about - two abandoned mugs of cocoa from last night. It seemed like a long time ago they’d had their lives interrupted by two unusual house guests; everything had changed now. “That one, I think.” Tina gestured to the mug closest to Queenie’s bed. Queenie cradled it in both hands like nothing in the world could be more precious, lips placed against the rim. Once again silent tears were falling down her face.

Tina’s heart shattered once again.

“Oh, Queenie,” Tina sighed, lifting her exhausted self from the couch. No sooner had she pulled Queenie into her arms, did her sister start sobbing.  
“It’s not fair!” She cried. “He was so wonderful… Why does it matter that we’re different?”

Tina had no idea what to say. Sure, there were reasons no-majes weren’t supposed to know about magic - she’d always been in favour of it, generally speaking, or rather had never been against it. Until it had left her little sister devastated. But it wasn’t as though such a huge part of wizarding life could simply be changed like that.

“I know… I know,” Tina said gently. “But it won’t hurt forever. You know it won’t.” They were both used to loss by now, weren’t they? They were both used to grief, such unfair grief.

“I don’t want it to stop hurting, I just want him.” Queenie whispered morosely. “Will you make me cocoa?”

“Sure I will,” And with that, Tina took the old mugs for the sink, and charmed a pot to fill itself with water and hop onto the stove. Right there in the kitchenette, the most obvious place where someone was bound to trip over it, was Newt’s suitcase. Tina tapped on it with her foot.  
“Newt,” She called down. “D’you want some hot cocoa?”

But he did not answer. She probably should have gone down there, maybe checked on him, but… Tina only had enough energy to support Queenie right now. Newt would simply have to go cocoa-less.

By the time Tina returned to the bedroom with the hot drink, Queenie had put on her fuzzy lavender pyjamas - she usually only wore those when she was under the weather - and was curled up in bed. With her hair a mess of curls all frizzed up from the rain, and her makeup all cried off, Tina thought she looked just like a little kid again.

“Thanks,” Queenie took the mug with a little smile, and after that, had nothing more to say. That was alright, Tina didn’t mind silence. They understood each other perfectly by now without talking, even without Tina being a legilimens. It was only when she had dropped herself face forward onto her own bed in a move of sheer elegance, that Queenie pointed out “You forgot your pyjamas.”  
Tina responded with something like a grunt and closed her eyes once more.

Then a crash jolted her awake. It didn’t seem that she’d been asleep at all - one moment it had been late morning and pouring with rain outside, and Queenie was sipping cocoa - the next, Tina opened her eyes to squint in the sunset’s golden glow, and her sister was snoring away. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around, only to see Newt staring at her sheepishly from across the apartment. It appeared that he’d knocked over the coat stand.

“Ah-” Newt grinned, lopsided, freckly, strangely endearing. Or at the very least, she no longer wanted to hex whoever had woken her up. “Hello. So sorry to wake you.”

“You’re goin’ already?” And without even saying goodbye? Mercy Lewis, she’d thought the Brits were supposed to be polite! Perhaps that was the reason she felt… rather deflated at the thought.

“No, actually - I was thinking I’d be back here for dinner.” Somehow, from Newt, this did not sound presumptuous. “I don’t suppose you could tell me where Credence lives?”

“Credence…?” Tina repeated, momentarily bewildered. Newt was off to find… Credence? The memory of last night was still as painful as before as she remembered him screaming, torn apart by spells, he must’ve been so afraid… And the little wisps of dark obscurus matter blowing away in the wind. How could he possibly have survived that? “Newt, he’s-”

“No, I don’t think he is.”


End file.
